


To Separate a Worker From Their Tools

by AlexisCyra



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Workaholic Wattson, extremely fluffy, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:40:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22804219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexisCyra/pseuds/AlexisCyra
Summary: With the Apex Games undergoing renovations, Renee "Wraith" Blasey and Natalie "Wattson" Paquette rent a small apartment on Solace in the down period. Natalie often disappears into her makeshift workshop for hours at a time to work on various designs and inventions, while Renee tends to try and relax. When Natalie disappears into her hole for longer than usual, Renee ends up heading in to check on her in this short romantic fluff piece.
Relationships: Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Kudos: 75





	To Separate a Worker From Their Tools

Natalie’s small workshop was flooded with darkness as the midnight strikes of the clock drew nearer. At least, she assumed the twilight hour was approaching. Time would often dissipate into a hazy void the moment her blue eyes became electrified with an idea. Sparks shot from the thin metal bar before her as her cutting torch approached its surface. Delicate ribbons of orange fire scattered across the visor of her forging mask. A satisfied chirp from her throat and the soft whir of the torch powering down indicated that the incision was complete and Natalie relaxed, reclining on her stool. It felt like every inch of her back creaked as she did so and it left her wondering just how long she’d been hunched over her work.

A steady stream of golden light began to pour into the room, a warm glow pooling in the previously shadowed corners. The door slid open fully to reveal Renee wielding a soft smile and a small silver platter. She was donning a fluffy black bathrobe; her still wet and bedraggled hair, tied up into a messy bun at the back, completed her classic post-shower look. She sauntered across the room toward Natalie, sidestepping a carelessly tossed wrench and the large toolbox that it missed.

“Hey Nat?” Renee piped up, giving Natalie a light tap on the back as she lowered the platter to the end of the workbench. “Brought you some snacks - you’ve been down here a while.”

Natalie squeaked in surprise at the touch. She spun her head around to face Renee and lifted up the large visor, the reflective surface falling away to reveal a tired expression decorated by trickles of sweat and dirt marks. The exhausted girl smacked her lips a few times, running her tongue across their dry surface before mustering a weak but joyful smile. 

Renee’s heart swelled at the sight.

“Oh,  _ bonjour  _ ! Sorry I’m-” Natalie found her greetings cut off as Renee’s warm lips pressed against hers. It spent a spark down her spine, a satisfied grunt crackling in her throat as she leaned into the kiss before it finally broke. “Tsk, Renee!” She protested, a rose blush flushing her cheeks. “You shouldn’t be kissing me right now, I’m so gross…” She carelessly ran her fingers down across her scarred cheek, swiping away a large patch of sweat while her free hand un-clipped the welding mask. Natalie wretched and gagged dramatically at the muck that now covered her fingertips. “See? Absolutely filthy.”

Renee rolled her eyes, twisting and taking a small step forward so that she was positioned just behind Natalie. Her hands landed atop Natalie’s shoulders and her fingers were quick to dig in, massaging the muscles tenderly. “Nat...something tells me you’ve been up all night again. You know you’re allowed to take breaks, right?” Renee’s dexterous fingers moved as she spoke. Leaving the shoulders temporarily unattended, she wrapped her arms around Natalie’s waist. She gave a tight squeeze and rested her head on her partner’s shoulder.

Natalie leaned into her girlfriend ever so slightly, her smile widening. “Mff- but I’m so close to finally getting it! I’m just making a few small adjustments to the fence pylon now to fit in the  upgraded coils!” The usual buzz in her voice as she explained her work to Renee was muted and a yawn mere seconds later betrayed her low energy levels. “Just a couple more access ports for wiring and the model 7c should be ready soon.”

Renee eyed up the scattered notes littering the workbench. Doodled diagrams were colorfully annotated on with a plethora of marker colors. One unfortunate sketch had been inundated with streaks of black, an angry cartoon face scribbled on top with a thick red marker telling Renee all she needed to know about the fate of that design. “You sure that 7c can’t wait until after some sleep? Not like it’s going to grow legs and run off the moment you turn your back.” She gave Natalie another reassuring squeeze, nestling her head deeper into her shoulder.

“Renee…” Natalie cooed, swirling around on her stool and returning the embrace. “I’m a scientist! I cannot rest until my work is done.” Renee gave her a look and a bashful grin crossed her lips. “It’s in the scientists code!” A pause. “...that I just made up. But it’s in there!”

“You can be a real piece of work sometimes, you know that?” Renee teased, giving her another kiss. She allowed the contact to linger for longer this time and delicately held Natalie’s cheek as the two became intertwined for the briefest of moments. A flock of butterflies swarmed through Renee's stomach and the voices etched into her mind drifted away into a sea of calm. She felt safe. After what felt like forever, she finally pulled away with a devilish look in her eyes. “Well, now that I have your attention Miss Paquette, how about we get you out of here and into bed? Looks like you managed to turn away from your work just fine with the right incentives~”

Natalie was still swooning from the kiss. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest as she tried to steady herself. “N-No…” She managed to stammer out, snuggling up to Renee. “Just give me a few more minutes... I’ll be done soon, I promise.” Most words were little beyond a murmur as Natalie succumbed to the pleasant heat of Renee’s robe and the flowery scent that seemed to hang from her skin. A satisfied moan passed through her lips.

“Come on cuddlebug.” Renee chuckled. “You’re already half asleep on me, you need the rest.” Tightening her embrace of Natalie, she moved one arm into a lifting position under her legs and lifted her partner up and off the stool. Natalie did little to protest, wrapping her arms around Renee’s neck as she was carried away from her workstation.

“Mmh… _ très forte _ ...” Natalie whispered softly into Renee’s neck. Her blonde hair had seen its shine dulled by hours hunched over her project and her casual clothing was a mess of stains and tears in the fabric. But the unbridled joy painted across her face as her eyelids started to fall and she burrowed into her lover’s neck was untainted by fatigue.

Renee carefully passed through the open door out into the hallway. The walls were lavishly decorated with classical paintings unusual for such a modest rental apartment. The two were stuck on Solace for a while - the Games were on hiatus for a number of weeks while the arena on Talos was expanded upon. Natalie had immediately taken it upon herself to locate a remote  spot to stay so that she could tinker away on her inventions in peace and it hadn’t taken her long to find the repurposed woodland hideout that they now called a temporary home. A path of destruction, that had to be carefully navigated, lay across the red carpet leading from many of the hallway's rooms toward Natalie’s makeshift workshop. She’d dropped all manner of tools and notes as she scampered into her hole to forge her newest brainstormed idea before a single second was wasted.

There was certainly never a dull moment with Natalie around.

**Author's Note:**

> [Inspired by artwork by @ptanalo on twitter: https://twitter.com/ptanalo/status/1228948988046372864]


End file.
